[Three dimensional reconstruction of the human left ventricle from multiple cross-sectional echocardiograms:...

A system for reconstructing three-dimensional images of the left ventricle from randomly-recorded multiple short-axis two-dimensional images was developed. This system consisted of a real-time phased array sector scanner, a transducer-locating arm system for registering the spatial coordinates of the images, and a digitizer-computer system for digitizing the endocardial edge to display the reconstruction image and to calculate the left ventricular volume. The clinical applicability of this system was assessed by comparing the calculated left ventricular volumes by this system (3DE) with those measured by cineventriculography (LVG) for 10 patients. For end-diastolic volumes (EDV) determined by 3DE and LVG, the linear regression equation was EDV (LVG) = 1.07 EDV (3 DE)-3.4, SEE = 19.0 ml, r = 0.959. For end-systolic volumes (ESV), it was ESV (LVG) = 1.16 ESV (3 DE)-6.0, SEE = 13.1 ml, r = 0.970, and for stroke volumes (SV), it was SV (LVG) = 0.70 SV (3 DE) + 32.3, SEE = 24.5 ml, r = 0.606. This method was considered applicable to clinical non-invasive measurements of left ventricular volumes. Digitized images were easily processed by a computer, and much informations, such as volumes, shapes and wall motion, were assessable.